Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday defended the impeachment court's decision to remand the complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives.
In a press conference, Escudero addressed questions about the possibility that the lower chamber would reject the return of the Articles of Impeachment, which it had submitted to the Senate on 5 February.
“We are not equal when it comes to this matter. This is not like the House and the Senate where those agencies are co-equal. In the context of impeachment, the Senate is the court, and the House is the prosecutor,” Escudero said in Filipino. “In my view, it is out of line for the House not to follow the orders of the impeachment court.”
“This is not like a bicameral conference where we need to agree. This is an order from the impeachment court directed at the prosecutor, who is only one party in the case. The party and the court are never equal in any case, anywhere in the world," he added.
On Tuesday night, the Senate impeachment court, presided over by Escudero, voted to remand the complaint against Duterte to the lower chamber shortly after it was convened.
Of the 23 senator-judges, 18 voted in favor of the motion to return the Articles of Impeachment.
Only Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Risa Hontiveros, Win Gatchalian, Grace Poe, and Nancy Binay objected to the motion, which was proposed by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa initially moved to dismiss the impeachment case, but Senator Alan Peter Cayetano amended the motion to a "remand," based on a proposal from Senator Bong Go.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on 5 February, with 215 lawmakers — more than two-thirds of its members — voting in favor.